Mobile Suit Gundam: Axis Shock
by raiyamo
Summary: UC 0093. Five years after Haman Karn's Neo Zeon was defeated, the Earth Sphere fell into an unsteady peace, held together by the tiniest thread that the Earth Federation has managed to piece together. Char Aznable has returned, and with a declaration of war, plunges the Earth Sphere into turmoil once again. Faced with no choice, Londo Bell scrambles to face off against Neo Zeon.
1. The Flames of War Part 1

"Kamille? That's a girls' name isn't it?" Kamille stood in line at the grocer, trying his hardest to ignore the girl at the counter. She scanned his items with a disinterested look on her face and sucked on a lollipop as though it were going out of style. "Your parents should be ashamed for giving you that name."

Kamille snapped. He backhanded the girl with as much force as on that day, when the Titans member Jerid Mesa said the same thing to him at the spaceport. Fa screamed his name and held him back as security scrambled towards them, their faces red from having run from the break room.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Their voices seemed far and distant, as though it were all a mirage. Whispy bits of smoke glided in from the outside, and suddenly a chill made Kamille realize. "This is just a dream." Back in reality, he was looking at the results for a girl who had gotten a pregnancy test earlier.

On the T.V. to his right, the face of the Red Comet appeared. Char Aznable stood at a podium, surrounded by members of his Neo Zeon faction. He was giving a speech, and the details of it, and his reasoning infuriated Kamille to his very core.

"Doctor, are you feeling okay?" The nurse on duty, a girl with light blue hair peered at him from the next room. She reminded him of someone long ago, but he had locked those memories away, thrown away the Key, and settled down in a job where he could do more than just be a killer.

"Nothing, just listening to Char's speech. It's really infuriating, to see more war break out." It has been five years since Neo Zeon had been defeated, with the death of their leader Haman Karn. Peace should have returned to the Earth Sphere, but in reality, things had begun to escalate out of control.

"Oh? I'm not a big fan of Char Aznable. All he's doing is prolonging the death of his stupid nation. The Earth Federation has beaten Zeon before and this time will be no different. But maybe if Char had chosen to be a movie star, now that would be a thing to see!" Kamille scoffed and waved the nurse away, trying to focus on his job.

"Kamille." A voice said. "Kamille. Kamille Bidan." Kamille looked around him. The room was the same as always, an almost sickly white, with shades of green and brown. The nurse had left and he was the only one in the room. "Kamille." He shook his head, it must be from overwork. With the battles in space, and the whole notion of another war, he had gotten a large influx of patients who were worried about possibly being a Newtype.

"Kamille." A woman's voice echoed through his mind. It was sweet, it was tender, it was sad. His heart jumped as he remembered the face that the woman's voice belonged to. "Kamille. It is not over. The earth and space are in danger." He closed his eyes, put his fingers on his temples, and tried to block out the voice. "Kamille."

"Don't try to run away." Another voice, another woman's.

"Rosamy, and Four? Why now? After all this time?!" He looked at his right hand, saw the golden ring and stood up. He closed the files on his computer, and made a note to the nurse to have her call the patient to come in for a follow-up. Leaving the room, he made sure everything was locked, switched off the lights, and left for the evening.

*Outside the Clinic*

Standing outside the door of the clinic, Kai Shiden was thinking on what to say before the door opened. Kamille walked through, in his hands a brown suitcase, and the other a mobile phone. "Well, look at who's all grown up. Kamille Bidan." Kamille looked at Kai, blinked as if trying to wake up, and simply walked forward. "Hey! Wait up!"

The pair walked side by side, the Moon Colony's hallways were big enough to have triples walking alongside one another. "What do you want? I already told you I'm not interested in fighting again." Kamille said with a sour tone.

"That excuse again? Listen Kamille, I didn't come here to hear your excuses. I came to tell you that running away from the fighting isn't going to work. Didn't you hear Char's speech? The guy is practically a maniac at this point." Kamille turned to look at Kai, who simply looked back at him.

"So?"

"So?!" Kai exclaimed. "Char is planning something big, and not like Haman's Neo Zeon big, but something even bigger! This could change everything! It's not just fighting for independence anymore, but Char's got this revenge agenda going on now!"

"Char isn't the type of person to do that."

"You did hear the speech right? This isn't Quattro Bajeena from the AEUG. Char has got to be stopped. The Federation has already gotten wind of something that Neo Zeon has cooked up. It may be another Colony Drop, no something perhaps even bigger."

"Even Bigger?"

The two rounded the corner. Instead of heading to the spaceport where Kamille could take a shuttle back to the residential district, he had instead followed Kai during the conversation. The two stood before a door marked Hanger Bay 07.

"Yes. Something even bigger. If you aren't going to agree, at least let me show you something."

"Fine. But don't try anything funny."

"I won't. I'm still on here on official Earth Federation business."

The two walked into the hanger. It was mostly empty, with a few mechanics and engineers running about.

"Listen, Amuro is on the frontlines. We even managed to get a few ace pilots from different divisions to the Londo Bell. This isn't another war, no, Char is planning something grander than that." Kai waved at one of the engineers, who, after waving back, punched something into a computer console.

"Even Amuro is still in the army. But what does that have to do with me? I'm a doctor now. If you need doctors, the Federation has plenty."

"Listen, Char is getting ready for a big offensive. The Federation knows this, and is pulling out the stops. I know you don't want to fight, but, if the Federation loses, it'll be worst than having lost the One Year War." Kamille felt a prickling at the back of his mind.

"Kamille. You must fight. The souls of all the people on earth..."

Four? Rosamy? Kamille couldn't quite make it out, but the voices mixed in, expanded, then contracted together in his mind. He couldn't ignore them, and they seem to have gotten bolder from Kai talking to him. In his heart, he detested the violence that he had participated in. The Gryps Conflict had given him enough death that would last a lifetime. But, what if this was the last time? What if after this, war could be averted, even if for a single decade? He had chosen to protect life as a doctor, but there are times where even doctors have limits.

"I can already see it on your face Kamille. Just one more fight." Behind Kai, something rose from the ground. It was a gray and red mobile suit, one that Kamille had never seen before.

"The Zeta? No, the Hyaku Shiki?" Kamille's heart jumped to his throat as he remembered the fight with Paptimus Scirocco. The battle was a hard one, but by using the Zeta's Biosensor, he managed to defeat Scirocco by pushing his Newtype capabilities beyond what they normally could do.

"The MSZ-007 Mass Production Type Ζ Gundam. A mass production unit of the Zeta Gundam that you piloted during the Gryps Conflict. The Earth Federation actually prepared you this machine if you ever decided to come back." Kai sheepishly said while scratching his nose. "It doesn't have the fancy gadgets your Zeta had, but it should work just as well.

"What happened to the Zeta then?" Kamille asked. His eyes examined the Type Z and he couldn't help but notice how lacking it was in the weapons department.

"Oh that? Well, the Federation has it somewhere. I think its more along the lines of them not wanting to have you use it."

"I understand. The Zeta itself is powerful, and I'm not a part of the military anymore. It only makes sense."

"Does that mean you'll come back?"

"Only this one time. After Neo Zeon is stopped, no more fighting."

"Okay! That's what I like to hear!"

"Let me go and tell Fa first. I'll gather some of my things as well for the journey."

Kai held out his right hand, and after looking at it for a brief second, Kamille shook it.

*Space Shuttle heading towards Luna II*

Hugues Courand stared at the screen broadcasting Char Aznable's speech. The former Red Comet was no longer just an urban legend. He had appeared before the Earth Sphere and threatened hostilities, even after the death of Haman Karn's Neo Zeon.

Hugues looked around the cabin, his eyes wandering as his destination slowly grew closer. There were few other occupants besides him, and they all wore Federation uniforms. None of them caught his eye until he looked directly in front of him. A woman with red hair looked intently at the leader of Neo Zeon, her emerald colored eyes showing a burning fire hidden deep within.

Smiling, Hugues closed his eyes and wondered about the sudden reassignment from his current unit. The only thing he was told was to pack up and board the shuttle. Hopefully, he could return soon. He thought to himself, as the sound of Char's speech spurring him into sleep.

*Chapter One: The Flames of War.*


	2. The Flames of War Part 2

*A graveyard of metal on the outskirts of Jupiter*

The ZZ floated through empty space. It floated among a sea of rubble, of twisted metal and ruined mobile suits whose gazes were fixed on the never-ending sea of darkness. The ZZ's main camera feed displayed only the wanton destruction that it had ended up in, but perhaps this graveyard had more meaning to it.

"This sucks, who would have thought Zeon would attack me on sight?" Judau Ashta sipped on a drink. It tasted of fresh apple cider, but had a slight metallic aftertaste to it. He felt his eyes, which were drooping just a few minutes ago, open up. The lights on the ZZ's dashboard blinked repeatedly red and yellow, as if playing a terrible game of Red Light, Green Light. "If I don't get rescued soon, this might be the end for me. Nah, it won't be. Roux's probably on her way to save me." Judau gave a light chuckle and looked at the panoramic monitor. Everywhere he looked, death surrounded him, reminding him that the ZZ could very well be his own metal coffin.

Five years since the fall of Neo Zeon. Five years since his battle with Haman Karn. Five years since the bloody battles that changed him from a mere kid to a battle-hardened veteran. He could count on his fingers the amount of times that the Earth Federation were consistently reliable, and he could count on those same fingers how out of touch adults were. Not that he could complain much, he grew up be like those adults. Just, without the complex that many of them had.

"I came here to get away from all of that, but I guess the Earth Sphere will always be fighting as long as both Zeon and the Earth Federation exist." Judau thought back to when he was still with the AEUG, with the Gundam Team. Its been a long time since he last saw Elle, Beecha, Lino, or even Mondo. Yet, they hadn't even bothered to send him or Roux a postcard! "Hm? Something's on the monitor?" A blip on the panoramic display suddenly became a full-on warning. A shot from a beam rifle suddenly whizzed past the ZZ's head, melting off the tip of its V-Fin. "More mobile suits!?"

Judau overrode the ZZ's safety mechanisms and managed to fire off the thrusters. Another shot, this time at the spot where the ZZ's torso was just at, tore through a destroyed Zaku II's torso just behind it.

"You guys just don't know when to quit do you!?" Judau fired off a shot from the Double Beam Rifle, tearing through the attacking Zaku III's upper midriff and causing an explosion. The surrounding suits around it scattered, their monoeyes glowing as if angered.

Judau managed to count in total about three mobile suits. All of them were models he wasn't familiar with. Shooting off the thrusters, he retreated deeper into the metal graveyard, making sure to keep some debris between him and the enemy. The mobile suits zipped through the debris field, their monoeyes moving slowly left and right as they searched for the ZZ.

"Take this!" A beam tore through one of the suit's chest, its monoeye slowly vanishing as the force of the impact carried it backwards. With the ZZ's free hand, it unsheathed its beam saber and cut through the waist of another. With a sputtering of electricity and oil, it separated cleanly in half.

During the chaotic engage, the last mobile suit boosted vertically up, aiming at the fuel pods equipped on the ZZ. With a few clean shots from its beam rifle, the pods exploded.

Judau screamed as the ZZ was sent flying through space. The entire cockpit flashed a bright red as the suit's warning system kicked in. On the dashboard, the ZZ's fuel supply, and thrusters blinked red. Red lights on nearly all of the suits internal systems flashed red repeatedly as Judau tumbled through space along with the ZZ.

As the mobile suit raised its rifle, its chest is melted open by a beam saber. The machine gives a slight shudder then falls deathly still. Behind it, a single GM III. Placing its beam saber into its backpack, Judau heard the communication line beep. Pressing a button on the dashboard, a face appeared on the side of the screen. A Federation pilot stared back at Judau.

"Judau Ashta? My name is Bork Cry. The Earth Federation needs your assistance."

*The Ra Cailum*

Yuu Kajima took a good long look at his face in the mirror. It was the face of someone who had seen many terrible things. For someone who had lived through the nightmare that was the One Year War, he had thought that everything after would be easy to handle. He was wrong.

"Colonel Kajima? Are you alright sir?" A young woman who was younger than him by twice his age looked at him with worried eyes.

"Yes, just tired. I've been running the simulations for our eventual battle with Neo Zeon." Yuu got up from the metal bench he was sitting on and tried his best to look bored. As long as you had a neutral expression on your face, no one could tell if you were angry, pumped up, or even tired. That made it harder for others to open up a conversation.

"I hope it doesn't come to that. The last war was five years ago. I think we all deserve some peace and quiet for a while." The young woman's name was Asuna Elmarit. She used to serve with the AEUG, helping combat the Titans when they were at the peak of their power. "Besides, even if war did break out, we'd have the legendary Blue Death on the battlefield." Asuna smiled and walked away, leaving Yuu slightly stunned.

The Blue Death. He was given that nickname after he piloted the Blue Destiny Unit 1 and 3. Even without the suit, he was still a formidable opponent. He had lived through the One Year War, past the engagement with the Titans, the Gryps Conflict, and the First Neo Zeon War. He was a tough son of a bitch to kill, but even he couldn't compare to the legendary ace with Londo Bell. The legendary White Devil.

As Yuu began to leave the break room. he felt a strange tingling sensation in the back of his mind. Ignoring it, he continued on, scratching the back of his head.

*Side 7: Green Noa 1*

Soto Kisaragi ran along the long stretch of green that looked as if it could continue into eternity. His feet slapped against the soft soil as he ran after a woman. His left hand outstretched, he could feel the muscles tense up as he forced them to extend even further than he thought possible. As his hand was about to meet her back, she vanished into wisps of smoke.

"Lieutenant?" A voice roused him from his daydream. Standing with him in the break room, Kou Uraki stared at him as though he didn't belong. The coffee Soto was carrying in his left hand caused him to almost drop it. He could feel a tingling sensation as he hurriedly placed it on the table.

"Ah, was I spacing out again? Sorry, sorry! I must not have gotten any sleep then!" Soto raised his hands up apologetically, trying his best to ignore the pain in his left hand. Kou simply looked at him, and after a brief moment, gave out a light chuckle.

"What are you apologizing for? I'm sure that after a coffee you'll be in tip-top shape! Better hurry!" Kou nonchalantly said as he strolled out. Soto gave out a small sigh, and looked at his hand. It was bright red.

Five years after the fall of Neo Zeon and another Zeon rises from its ashes. Soto thought as he sat down and blew on his coffee.

The five years after Haman Karn's defeat, Soto had been idling his time away at Green Noa, helping pick off survivors that manage to drift to Side 7. While it was mostly safe, he had never really felt satisfied with the assignments that were given to him. As an ordinary grunt with little to no special feats, he would be repeatedly passed over for promotions.

"Maybe it's for the better. After all, I don't have to deal with the vanguard of Char's Neo Zeon. Heh." Soto reached out for his coffee when he began to notice the table was slightly shaking. "An earthquake? Here? I didn't think Green Noa had simulated earth-" Soto was interrupted by a loud bang and the sight of a light fixture swinging towards his face.

*Chapter One: The Flames of War Part 2*


	3. Battle on the Moon

"The world can't run off of peace. It also can't run off of the hatred of those still tied behind in the past. You understand, don't you? That no matter how many times you're swept off your feet, you have to get back up. Again, and again, and again, and again. As many times as needed. I'm sure that it has already been said, but please, remember that time beyond the time."

"Luna II Docking Bay"

A slow steady stream of Federation ships came and went. The ships encompassed a variety of roles, from warships to simple cargo ships delivering resources to the Lunar Colony. Kamille Bidan watched as the Pegasus Class Warship White Base III docked. From where he was standing, he had a good view of the last of the One Year War era ships whose designs took after the original that Captain Bright Noa commandeered.

"Isn't she a beauty?" Kai commented, munching on an energy bar he had bought from the kiosk nearby. "Captain Bright was given her to help lead the charge on Neo Zeon but hasn't been put on the frontlines. I think the Federation is afraid of another full-blown war, but there's nothing we can do. Char has already declared war the Federation." Kamille looked over at Kai, who raised an eyebrow.

"Has the fighting really spread that far?" Kamille asked, reminded of the countless times that he fought alongside the AEUG. "Has Char really become the sort of man that he once fought against?" Lt. Quattro Bajeena, the alias that the Red Comet, Char Aznable had taken after the One Year War. He had fought against the tyranny that the Earth Federation's Titans had spread all throughout of space, and indeed had fought against the newly emerging Neo Zeon. For a man like that to suddenly announcing his intent to wage war, it was unthinkable.

"That's just the sort of hand we've been dealt with. With Char missing after the Gryps War, we thought he had died. Unfortunately, that was false. The Earth Federation had been worrying about Haman Karn's Neo Zeon and never really investigated that far. Well, most of the White Base crew has moved on, but well, you can't keep a good soldier down. Come on, let's go greet the captain himself." Throwing away the wrapper, he motioned for Kamille to follow.

The two went down several twisting hallways, and through a door, before they emerged into a large hanger bay. The White Base III stood majestically before Kai and Kamille as if saying it was the last bastion of hope against all the evils in the world. Walking along the walkway, Kamille peered down below. A number of Earth Federation officials were running about, with engineers scurrying to load the ship with mobile suits. At the farthest corner of the hanger, Kamille spotted his suit being serviced.

"Kamille! A wave of anger is being directed at the colony!" Four's voice echoed in Kamille's mind as the hanger bay began to shake. Lights flickered on and off, and an alarm began to blare. "Run Kamille!" Kamille began to run, his legs jumping into action before his own mind could register what was happening. A large pipe from overhead slammed into the spot he was just standing.

"Goddamn it! Damn Zeons!" Kai yelled over the alarms. He vaulted over the railing, landing on the platform below. "Let's see what this One Year War Era suit can still do!" Hitting the release on the suit's cockpit, it opened with a hiss.

"Wait what are you doing!?" An engineer cried out.

"Saving our asses!" Kai yelled back. Closing the hatch, he began the boot-up sequence.

Kamille ran past fleeing engineers, climbed up the scaffolding, and reached the platform before another explosion shook the hanger bay. Hitting the release, he jumped into the cockpit, initiating the start-up sequence. Fast booting the OS, the panoramic display started up. He stepped on the foot pedals, moving the Zeta MP forward. Looking around, he grabbed the suit's main armament, a beam rifle on a rack nearby.

"Kamille!" Four screamed in his mind.

A single mobile suit broke through the hanger bay's secure door, its sole monoeye looking around. Upon seeing the White Base III, the machine raised up its rifle towards the bridge.

"Not on my watch!" Kamille yelled as he fired off the Zeta MP's thrusters, crashing directly into the enemy mobile suit. Using the initial inertia, Kamille managed to force the suit backwards through the hole it created. The two smashed through several other emergency seal doors before emerging into space. "Ahhhh!" Kamille smashed the Zeta MP's knee into the enemy suit's cockpit, creating ample space between the two. Thrusting the beam rifle forward, Kamille pulled the trigger. He could hear the mental scream of the enemy pilot.

"From above!" Pulling back, Kamille shot off the thrusters in a short burst, narrowly avoiding the downward slash of a spiky shouldered mobile suit's Beam Axe. Its monoeye swivels about, looking for Kamille.

"Take this!" Pulling out a beam saber from the left side armor, Kamille boosted forward, slashing through the waist of the enemy mobile suit. In response, the enemy suit began to swing wildly. Ducking under, Kamille stabbed the beam saber into the cockpit. He could hear the pilot's terrified scream.

Blinking, Kamille held his head in his hands as a stinging pain began to radiate through his skull. It was as if his mind was folding in on itself, but instead of stopping, it began to radiate outwards through his being.

"Die!" Another mobile suit emerged, raising its rifle at the Zeta MP. Kamille looked up, trying to dodge the shot he knew was coming.

"Not on my watch!" A single beam pierced through the cockpit, causing an explosion that made Kamille blink. A black and white mobile suit floated several meters away, with a giant beam cannon on its right shoulder. It was giving him the thumbs up sign. "You gotta be careful, shaking off the rustiness huh Kamille?" Kai said as he checked the radar. Minovsky particles were beginning to appear, causing the radar to lose its effectiveness. "I don't think this was the last of them." The White Base III began to emerge from the ruined hanger entrance, its outer signal lights blinking green.

In the distance, the Moon Colony was under attack.

*Outside the Moon Colony*

"What the hell!? Why is Zeon attacking!?" Christina Mackenzie shouted as she evaded several shots from a Geara Doga's beam machine gun. The Gundam Alex's reactor screamed as Christina fired off a shot that hit cleanly in the torso.

Nearby, Hughes Courand was engaging several Geara Dogas. He spun around, fired off a shot that melted one of the Geara Dogas' sides and fired upwards, piercing right through the halves of another.

"White Devils!" The Geara Doga pilots all screamed in unison.

"Sorry, but we aren't him!" Both Hughes and Christina shouted at the same time, firing and eliminating their respective foes. Below, the Earth Federation Forces were engaged in combat inside the colony.

*Inside the Moon Colony*

Several Zaku III's and Geara Dogas were engaged in combat inside the colony. Scores of buildings were caught in the crossfire with people still inside. Scores of civilians fleeing for their lives were caught in explosions and falling debris. Walking through the carnage, Rakan Dahkaran surveyed the damage his squad had inflicted. His mobile suit, the AMX-014 Döven Wolf, stood out from the Zeon mobile suits that had sortied into the colony.

"What are you doing Rakan!?" Over the radio, Mashymre Cello's face appeared on the Döven Wolf's panoramic display. "Why are you attacking innocent civilians!?" Hakan looked at Mashymre's face and into his eyes.

"They are the enemy. In order to weaken the Earth Federation, sacrifices must be made for the greater good. If they cannot be bothered to fight back, then its only natural for the strong to win." It was also natural for him to betray Haman Karn for Glemy Toto's Neo Zeon. Only the strong should have the right to dictate the future.

"What!?"

"Get back to your sector." Shutting off communications, Rakan sighed. Scanning the environment below, the panoramic display detected movement. A woman was running away from the Döven Wolf. Rakan could make out her yellow dress, and slightly curly fluffy hair. "Sorry, but your sacrifice is needed for Neo Zeon's success." As Rakan moved his finger to fire the Döven Wolf's 30mm Vulcan Gun, something odd stopped him.

He could hear something from the Döven Wolf's audio system. It was quiet at first but grew in volume. It was a cacophony of chaos to his ears, a rampaging assault of drums, saxophones and trumpets at full blast.

The Döven Wolf suddenly jerked backward, the panoramic display showing red warning messages as the main camera suddenly shut off. Rakan slammed into the back of his seat, the Döven Wolf's airbags deploying as the intense G-Force pinned him down.

Io Flemming stared down at the disabled Döven Wolf. He had fired the last round in the Hyper Bazooka and had tossed it off to the side. With a loud thud, it crashed into the ruined landscape below. Even with the thick Minovsky particles present, as long as he was in close range, other pilots would be able to hear the sound of Free jazz. He liked the sound and liked to signal his presence on the battlefield.

"What a cocky bastard." Io said out loud. "Neo Zeon is just itching to add in more war crimes. Guess that's why we won the One Year War. Bunch of lunatics out here in space can't control themselves." The moment he said that a red warning appeared on his monitor. Spinning around, he raised the shield in the FA-78 Gundam's left arm. A beam rifle's beam shot smashed into the shield, causing the Gundam to fly back. "A sneak attack? Now, this is getting interesting!" Slamming on the thrusters, Io charged towards the squad of Zaku III's aiming his way.


	4. Shadows Throughout Space and Time

"You can't fight with just hatred in your heart. Nothing but love can conquer the darkness that lurks inside man." Kenshiro Watanabe sat before a large row of monitors. One by one, the monitors began to come to life. On each screen, a number was displayed. Beyond the cold of the room, Kenshiro looked to the ceiling and saw what he most desired.

He saw the earth, he saw the stars, he saw the colonies and the Sides all there, floating in silent harmony. All he had to do was close his eyes, and he could imagine the vastness of space surrounding him. His entire office was built on an advanced glass that pieced together the images of various locations his cameras had access to and to him, it made him feel less alone.

"Mr. Watanabe. What is the meaning of this?" Monitor Five asked. The voice belonged to a deep, almost croaky voice. "I thought that the OASIS Project was canceled. Why have you restarted it!?" Kenshiro looked up at Monitor Five. He could sense that the person behind that voice was an Oldtype, a human incapable of evolving into the next stage of humanity.

"It is simple. I have gone over the records of the Universal Century, and no matter how much we push to influence it, our efforts will amount to nothing." Kenshiro spoke of the GUNDAM Project, a revolutionary thought experiment meant to help resolve the Newtype problem. It, along with the OASIS Project was meant to stop the ongoing violence between Earthnoids and Spacenoids. "Using the future predictive machine Unicorn, the conclusion that had been made is that humanity will self-destruct in about two hundred years.

"What!?"

"Impossible!"

"No way!"

The monitors all sparked to life, with voices from men and women, young and old, all mixed in with one another. Kenshiro could tell that AEGIS' predictions were correct. It had foretold of a time where the end of the Universal Century would mean in the regression of humanity and the elimination of advanced technology.

"But it can all be avoided." Kenshiro rose his voice. He felt a burning desire well up from beneath him, and let his words rush out like a broken dam. "The OASIS Project is a major stepping stone for all of us who live in the Universal Century. These years of ceaseless conflict, of needless bloodshed have not stopped. Char Aznable's Neo Zeon is proof of that, and the Earth Federation's incompetence in stopping this insurrection is evidence that the bureaucracy on earth has run its course." Kenshiro paused to let it all sink in. With several deft finger movements, he had the holographic projectors project several images at the center of the room.

"This is just a small part of our goal. These are plans and schematics for the next generation of mobile suits produced by my company. In a week, we can begin rolling them out of the factories and assigning them to our forces immediately. Once we have established our presence, we will begin deploying our warships, and begin seizing the Sides, by force if needed." Kenshiro's fingers moved through the air, selecting more and more images.

"What!? You plan to take the Sides by force!? Do you really think your military presence is enough to fight off Neo Zeon!?" Monitor Seven's voice peaked, crackling slightly as if it had been run through a filter. "And what about the Earth Federation!? They won't sit idly by while you play your little mind games with Char!" Kenshiro's lips curled into a smile. With a snap of his fingers, the floor beneath him began to move. "What!?"

The walls began to pull back; the ceiling began to retract. The monitors began to fold in on themselves as the voices that came from them were those of utter confusion. Standing on a platform, Kenshiro rose his arms to the air and snapped his fingers.

The monitors all began to shriek as a single mobile suit rose from behind Kenshiro.

* * *

*Green Noa 1*

Soto woke to the sounds of a lullaby being played. The song wrapped itself around him as he stumbled through a hazy mist. His mind fogged, he reached out aimlessly as though searching for something. The mist began to lighten, revealing a faint silhouette in the far distance.

"The Universal Century is an era of endless war. History demands compensation, and the living demands the heads of those that wronged them. Not a single man, machine, idea, or even flag can stop the path of self-destruction this era is destined to reach. But continue on to fight. Not even you can change the thread of fate that has already been decided."

Opening his eyes, Soto groped around in near perfect darkness. The ground beneath him rumbled, and his ears could pick up the distant sound of gunfire. Rubbing his face, he realized that his nose had been bleeding. Rubbing off the dried blood, he got to his feet, wobbled about several times and reached the door.

"What the hell is going on?" Out in the hallway, plumes of smoke wafted in from a hole in the wall. Light poured in, casting a grim shadow that reminded Soto of a painting he saw once on earth. "An enemy attack, that has to be it! Damn Neo Zeons!" Running to the hanger bay, Soto ran past several bodies crumpled together. They had been brutally executed as if they were in the middle of pleading for their lives.

"There's one there!" A yell rang out in the darkness. Soto dived to the right, entering another hallway. Bullets whizzed past the spot he had just been at and he could hear the sounds of them striking the wall at the far end of that hallway. Cursing under his breath, Soto's legs exploded with power as the adrenaline began to kick in.

* * *

*Green Noa 1- Hanger Bay*

"This is?!" For several hours, the Federation base on Green Noa 1 had been under assault. The heavy presence of Minovsky Particles made communication impossible, and the attackers' identities could not be identified. Were they Zeon Remnants still separated from Neo Zeon? Were they guerrilla rebels in some backwater colony trying to take on the Earth Federation? Or were they some other group who decided to take advantage of the chaos Char Aznable had instigated through space and earth? "A Gundam?"

Sgt. Kou Uraki walked down the stairwell of the hanger bay, his eyes locked on the white mobile suit standing in a corner. He knew what Gundam type it was. It was a perfect replica of the one he first piloted when Anavel Gato stole the GP02 Gundam. Was it waiting for him? Hidden away on Green Noa 1, what did the Earth Federation have to gain by stashing suits away in random bases?

"Impossible, the GP01 was beyond repair. They scrapped the machine, so how is it here?" Kou didn't have time to finish that thought. Large scale tremors began to wreak havoc through the base. Grabbing onto a nearby railing, it broke free of its foundations and fell off the edge, taking Kou with it. Holding on, Kou swung through the air and crashed into a nearby set of crates on the ground floor. Swearing, Kou picked himself up.

His crimes had been buried when the Gundam Project by Anaheim was scrapped. No records of the Gundams they produced were left. Yet, somehow, the very machine he piloted was standing there, as if waiting for the day he would be in the cockpit yet again. Scrambling towards it, Kou noticed that the cockpit was wide open, with the pulley hanging there.

"Someone must have left it here for me. But why?" Grabbing on, the pulley lifted him up. His stomach dropped slightly as he remembered the time he and the Albion crew chased after Gato. He was a sub-par pilot, and the only thing he could rely on was his instincts and the Gundam's specs. But now, so many years later, he had tested himself through combat with the GM Series.

Sitting inside the cockpit, the outer door closed with a hiss. The inside lit up, and Kou could tell that the machine wasn't the same. Instead of the three monitors the GP01 originally used, the cockpit had been retrofitted with a panoramic display that modern mobile suits had. Booting it up, the familiar feel of the reactor turning on made him think back to 0083.

He didn't have long to take a trip through memory lane. The hanger's doors blew wide open, and a single mobile suit stepped forward. It was red, with spikes on its shoulders. Its monoeye flashed menacingly as it scanned the area. On instinct, Kou pushed down on the throttle, and the Gundam boosted forward, slamming into the enemy mobile suit with incredible force.

* * *

*Green Noa 1- Federation Base*

"What's going on!?" Soto managed to make his way out of the base. The sound of distant gunfire had grown even stronger, and he could smell gunpowder in the air. A tired looking soldier sitting on the ground with his back against an overturned jeep looked up, pulled a pistol out of his holster and tossed it at Soto.

Fumbling around with the weapon, Soto eventually had a firm grip. "You're late to the party. Damn bastards have us pinned down good." The soldier chuckled for a bit, lit up a cigarette and began to blow out smoke clouds.

"What do you mean? Is it Zeon?!" Chuckling some more, the soldier pulled out a pistol clip and handed it over to Soto.

"No. Not in a million years. Whoever these people are, they're good, special ops training and everything. Equipment is top notch and I think they're a bit too good at killing people for Zeons." He motioned over at the bodies of several Federation soldiers all slumped over nearby. Their bodies had been shredded to pieces by what Soto assumed was heavy machinegun fire. "Kid, I got my mobile suit in hanger 03, but as you can see, I'm not in any condition to kick any ass." A pool of blood had begun to form underneath the soldier, and his face contorted as he held his side. "Kick ass for me. And no, I don't need any help."

"Don't die on me yet old man. Stay alive while I kick their asses for you!" Soto ran off in the opposite direction, his heart pounding in his chest. He hadn't been in many combat engagements, but the few times he had, the fear of death always seemed to arrive the moment he was engaging the enemy. He could hesitate and die, or struggle and live. On the battlefield, death was always around the corner. There was no room for error for either side if they wanted to continue living.

Smiling, the soldier stared up at the sky. Taking out the first aid pack, he folded up the included cloth and stuffed it into his mouth. Nothing was going to be easy, but surely it had to end better than the 08th MS Team. He wondered how the members were doing and what "he" would be up to on earth.

Sitting in the cockpit, Soto drew in a deep breath and began the startup procedures. The familiar hum of the mobile suit's reactor would have been comforting if it wasn't for the fact it was nuclear based. Strapping in, Soto watched as the panoramic monitor turned on.

"You will come back, right? From space?"

"Yeah, I will. Once this tour is over I plan to retire completely. That way, we can finally get married in peace."

Shaking his head, Soto tried to stop the old memories from resurfacing. He had to be in perfect condition to live, and no amount of baggage from the past was going to stop that! Stepping out from the hanger, the main monitor suddenly displayed a red warning signal to his right. Twisting the Jegan's body, its shield took the brunt of the blow. Standing several meters away, an unknown green and brown mobile suit stared at Soto's Jegan.


End file.
